Always
by ancient-relic
Summary: They first met when she was a little girl. Now, over a decade later, she's back again... Someone has murdered her family, and she needs Horatio's help to catch the killer- because she's the only survivor to a perfect crime... and the only witness.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Sooo, I totally have no excuses for this. The plot hit me like a slap in the face while I was watching CSi: Miami. Plus I love Horatio. Teeheehee. Anyways, we'll see where this goes. I'm exciteeedddd! :D Please let me know what your feelings are~! (AKA, REVIEW, PLZ)

Oh yeah, and the title and lyrics at the beginning are from "Always" by Neverending White Lights. It's a pretty spiffy song, if I do say so myself. (I don't own that either.)

* * *

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own InuYasha or CSI: Miami...

* * *

**Always - I**

**By ancient-relic**

--

_And if you ever come back-_

_Well,_

_I will let you;_

_Always_

--

"H," Horatio heard someone calling his name. He turned from the window he had been staring out of, lost in thought. It was Ryan. He poked his head through the glass door, but didn't enter.

"Mr. Wolfe," Horatio replied in greeting, turning to face his CSI. "What can I help you with?"

"There's a girl at the front desk asking for you," Ryan commented. "They were going to page you, but I offered to mention it to you since I knew where you were."

"I see." Horatio was curious. "Do you know who it is?"

"No," Ryan shook his head. "I've never seen her before. She doesn't look like she's from Miami, either, so I was a little confused as to why she'd be asking for you specifically. So was the receptionist."

"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Wolfe." Horatio smiled slightly. "I'll go right now."

"Sure thing, H." Ryan nodded, holding the door open for his boss to pass through before disappearing down the hall to find Calleigh.

--

"Please, Miss, if you'll just come this way,"

"Listen, _Detective,_" the woman's voice was biting. "I'm not going anywhere. I asked for Horatio- and he's the only one I'm going anywhere with!"

"Jesse," Horatio called. "It's all right."

Jesse looked over, spying his boss on the other side of the foyer area. He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, before forcing a smile. He glanced down at the small, stubborn Asian woman and his smile faded slightly, but he gave Horatio a salute of acknowledgement and turned to leave.

"Horatio!" the woman's voice was no longer stubborn or strong; instead, it cracked sharply.

Jesse turned to watch the woman bound across the foyer and launch herself at his boss, who barely had enough time to place his sunglasses on the receptionist's desk before catching her. An awkward silence suddenly seemed to shift across the foyer; people slowing to take in Horatio and the strange woman with thinly veiled interest.

"Who knew H had such game?" a voice spoke up beside him. Jesse turned to see Walter watching the pair with a Cheshire grin.

"So you've got no idea who that is either, then?" Jesse questioned.

"Nope." Walter's smile shifted into its usual dopey grin. "But I suppose we'll find out soon enough, if she's sticking around. But listen, I've got some samples I want you to take a look at."

"All right," Jesse glanced once more at the embracing pair before dragging his gaze away. "Let's go."

--

"Kagome," Horatio was surprised. He hadn't seen the young woman in almost a decade. Despite the time, he recognized her expressive eyes immediately. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome pulled back from his shoulder, and inhaled shakily. She'd tried so hard for so long to be strong, but she felt so vulnerable and Horatio had always managed to bring out the little girl in her.

"It's a long story," she smiled. "Do you have some time?"

Horatio was still shocked at her abrupt reappearance, but nodded. "As long as you need," he squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, his other hand moving to grab his sunglasses.

"As long as you need."

--

**tbc.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** OKay, so not gonna lie, I was hoping for some more feedback. Of course, that's completely optional. I really like this plot, so I'm going to keep writing regardless, cause I'd like to challenge myself and see how far I can get with a story like this. Review if you wanna. (PLZ AND THANKS)

ALSO, this chapter is dedicated to _Bishonen'sFoxyMiko_ for being my first reviewer, and _Haru Inuzuka_ for making me smile. :D

* * *

**Always - II**

**By ancient-relic**

--

_And if you ever come back-_

_Well,_

_I will let you;_

_Always_

--

"Calleigh!" Ryan hissed, hustling right up to her side. Raising her head from the microscope, Calleigh turned to her coworker with a confused smile.

"Is there something I can help you with, Ryan?" she asked, pulling her gloves off and leaning casually against the table. Ryan glanced once over his shoulder, and then throughout the room cursorily.

"You haven't heard?" Ryan was practically bouncing. "There's this woman at the front desk, and she basically demanded to see Horatio. I hear she's refusing to even _look_ at anyone else."

"I never took you for a gossip," Calleigh shook her head with a grin at Ryan's antics. "Or a drama queen."

"Oh, it's no lie," Walter chipped in, as he and Jesse strode into the room. "We were just there."

"She was clinging to him like a life line." Jesse added. "I've never felt so… _dismissed_ before."

"You mean a girl's never downright ignored you before?" Calleigh asked, teasing.

"Funny," Ryan muttered, but Jesse caught it, punching him good-naturedly in the arm.

"It's not even like that," Walter added. "She was like, frantic. I wonder what she needed him for."

"Alimony." Ryan commented.

"Ryan!" Calleigh did her best to sound scandalized.

"Maybe she needs child support." Walter rolled with Ryan's theme. "Maybe she's hit some tough times, too."

"Maybe she's just an ex," Jesse commented.

"Or maybe she's in some kind of trouble?" Calleigh put forward. "We all know Horatio offers his help whenever he can. Maybe she's just someone from his past we never knew."

"She doesn't look old enough to have kids," Jesse glanced at Walter and Ryan. The three men turned from Calleigh, continuing to discuss possibilities.

"_Men_." Calleigh muttered, grabbing her gloves and turning back to her microscope.

--

"All right, Kagome." Horatio shut his office door behind him.

Kagome was sitting in his chair behind his desk, her bare legs tucked up to her chest like she was cold. Concerned, Horatio shrugged off his suit jacket and placed it carefully over her shoulders. She accepted it gratefully, but made no move to adjust it. Horatio sat down on the edge of his desk so he was facing her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Kagome staring out into the bright afternoon and Horatio carefully focusing on the young woman before him.

She had grown up well, he decided, as he scrutinized her. He remembered the tiny, scared little girl who spoke English with a stutter and laughed like there wasn't a worry in the world. Now, the woman before him was almost gaunt- but not in an unpleasant way. She was still small, but at the same time she was bigger. She looked fit; strong enough to take care of herself, and of course, she had inherited her mother's natural Japanese beauty.

"Kagome…" Horatio broke the silence, still watching. She looked weak and ashamed. And she looked scared.

"Horatio… I…" she began, turning her soulful eyes towards him. "It's been a while," she finished lamely, with a smile.

"It has," Horatio acknowledged. "You've been well?"

"More or less," Kagome sighed shakily. "Everything has its ups and downs, you know how it is."

"You stopped visiting during the summer," he mentioned casually, studying her unabashedly, watching her emotions flit across her face as they spoke.

"Yeah," Kagome ran her hand through her hair, laughing a little. "Man, we used to come here every summer, didn't we?"

Horatio saw her eyebrows droop a little. She stared outside again, contemplatively.

"When Gramps got sick, the medical bills were up there with the other big ticket items like traveling. We couldn't afford vacations any more. And then when Souta started school regularly, there was barely enough money to get by. Eventually it got better, but things were tight for a while."

"Your mother should have called me," Horatio said sternly. Kagome smiled softly at him.

"You always were too nice." Kagome chuckled. "We wouldn't have asked you for something like that, you know."

"I know," Horatio relented with a smile. She was getting more comfortable, he noted. Her posture was relaxing.

"But I figured it was high time I come back," Kagome's mood shifted again, but this time her expression seemed to harden. "I think I'm here to stay."

"You have a Visa?" Horatio was curious.

"I'll get one, or something." Kagome waved it off dismissively.

"I'll help," he added.

"Thanks," she whispered, resting her cheek on her knees. The blank expression seemed to overwhelm her features again, and Horatio felt his concern returning.

"Why are you here, Kagome?" he questioned, straightforward. "Why have you decided to come back to Miami?"

"Horatio…" Kagome's voice was watery and small. "I… I didn't know where else to go," she whispered.

"Are you in some kind of danger?" Horatio suspected trouble, but of what kind, he wasn't sure. "Do you owe someone money?"

"Nothing like that," Kagome smiled with teary eyes. "I… someone killed my family, Horatio. They're all dead. _Slaughtered._"

Horatio couldn't find any words for the young girl.

"I couldn't stay in my house. I couldn't stay in Japan. I just had to get away, Horatio. And I didn't know where else to go." Kagome sniffled as the tears that had been welling up finally spilled out of her eyes.

Still silent, Horatio moved from his perch and scooped up the young woman before him. Sobs that he knew she'd been trying to hold back for a long, long time finally shook her frame and he held her as closely as he dared. She had initially seemed strong, but now he almost wondered if she'd break if he squeezed too hard.

He ran his hand through her hair, whispering nonsense to calm her sobs, and silently made a promise to her. He was going to find the person who had torn this woman's life apart, and he was going to put them behind bars for the rest of their natural lives.

--

_Dude, u gotta c this_.

Jesse's phone beeped merrily informing him of Walter's text. Glancing up from the evidence box he'd been leafing through, he glanced across the hall to see Walter pantomiming, trying to get his attention.

_Didn't kno u'd taken up dance… nice!_

He sent back, watching with a chuckle as the tall man received his message, and glared at him. A second later, his phone beeped again, and he glanced down to the display.

_Get ur ass over here. And bring wolfe_

Jesse turned around to see Ryan in the room behind him. His back was turned, and it wasn't likely he'd be able to catch the man's attention by waving and dancing as Walter had done.

"This better be good," Jesse grumbled, stripping his gloves and pocketing his phone as he headed to get Ryan.

A moment later, the two men had assembled with Walter, and were all wearing identical looks of surprise. Down the hall, through the glass and the dividers, all three could see clearly into Horatio Caine's office.

And what they saw appeared to be their boss and the mystery woman, caught up in a romantic, _the-world-will-end-if-I-let-you-go_ embrace.

--

**tbc.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I have to say I was absolutely amazed with all the feedback that I've gotten since my last update on this story! It makes me so happy inside!! :D Now, I've had a couple of questions: some from anonymous reviewers and otherwise, but I figured I'd answer them straight out so that everyone would know...

From_**Arira**_**:** I just would want to know Kagome's age and little more about how she knows Horatio (whom was 45 in first season).

That's a very good point. I know Horatio is "older", but I never knew what his age was, exactly. In this story, his age isn't important, really... so technically it can be whatever you want. I'm writing this story up-to-date with the latest episode of the recent season, in case anyone was wondering. As for Kagome, I don't have a specific age for her either... but as for a timeline, I imagine she was traveling in the past for around three years, then she spent around two in present day with her family before they were murdered. So I just imagine her being in her early twenties... certainly no older than twenty-two.

And for the other big question: are Kagome and Horatio going to end up together? The answer: not likely. The age difference is big, and to top it all off, they knew each other before Kagome hit puberty. A littttlllle weird, if you ask me. No, Kagome sees Horatio more like family than anything... to her, he's a safe place, where she knows she'll be protected. Kind of the way she felt with InuYasha, minus the romantic feelings. Horatio still sees the little girl in her that he used to know, and is more protective than usual.

And finally, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to an anonymous reviewer named _**DataLog**_... because my story made you smile, and you reviewed, and your review made me smile!! A big THANK-YOU to all of my other reviewers, too. YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING~!

* * *

**Always - III**

**By ancient-relic**

--

_And if you ever come back-_

_Well,_

_I will let you;_

_Always_

--

Kagome pulled Horatio's suit jacket over her shoulders, sliding her arms through the sleeves. His scent; an American brand musk she couldn't identify, washed over her. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

It may have been a bit of a stretch coming to visit Horatio, and Kagome could understand why. Technically, the murders had happened in Japan, and Tokyo was _far_ out of Horatio's jurisdiction. But she felt safe and protected with Horatio, and it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Ever since her return to her rightful century a couple years ago, Kagome had never been able to shake the sense of being _watched_.

When she had discovered her family's murder, she had only stayed long enough to provide the police with the appropriate information before catching the next flight out of Japan. Originally, she had traveled to California, and Kagome was immensely glad for the change of pace. The sun and sand was a warm relief from the cold, empty feeling that had haunted her in Japan. It had been hard and lonely leaving her friends and pseudo-family behind in the past, but ultimately, she was forced to return to her rightful timeline.

Kagome had spent several days in California working on her tan and relaxing before her nerves had gone into overdrive again. Paranoia was hard to shake, especially for her; having spent several years travelling constantly checking over her shoulder for danger. From there, she had hitchhiked across America, zigzagging through the central states until she reached Miami. She hadn't been able to shake her pursuer, and she hadn't been able to shake the suspicion that whoever was following her had something to do with the death of her family.

Reentering Miami had, naturally, brought back fond memories of vacations when she was small, and after securing herself a little motel room off one of the highways, Kagome had immediately set off for the Miami Dade Police Station, in search of one person she hoped could help.

--

Horatio put several dollars into the appropriate slot, listening as the vending machine made several clunking noises before spitting out a cold can of juice. Kagome was sitting in his office, waiting for his return, but Horatio needed a moment to think before he could return.

"Horatio?" Calleigh's voice cut over the noise of the station, and Horatio turned to face her.

"Calleigh," he greeted with a nod of his head. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact," Calleigh smiled. "Rumors have been flying all of a sudden. I was wondering if you could shed some light on the situation?"

Horatio stared at his second in command for a moment, studying her. He knew Calleigh had a very good sense of personal space and privacy, so it had taken more than just a little deliberation for her to come straight out and ask him. Horatio also knew that Calleigh wouldn't make assumptions based on rumors, so even if she was being logical, her curiosity was nagging at her.

"The woman," Horatio paused, searching for the right words. "She's… an old friend of mine." He smiled a bit, wondering if 'friend' was the right word to describe his and Kagome's relationship. Probably not.

"Oh," Calleigh didn't sound surprised, but her eyebrows did rise ever so slightly and the corners of her mouth threatened to stretch into a teasing smile.

"There's something I need to take care of." Horatio said by means of explanation, before nodding at his CSI as he turned to return to Kagome. "I'll be in my office if you need anything, all right?"

"Okay, Horatio." Calleigh's almost-smile disappeared, but she gave him a little wave as he left.

--

"Calleigh!" Ryan's voice was hissing at her again. Calleigh sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"Hey, Calleigh!" he tried again. Calleigh spun around, a hand on her hip, exasperated.

"What?" she snapped, glancing through the empty lab to another across the hall, where Ryan was gesturing, trying to get her attention.

"Come here!" he waved. Calleigh stared at him a moment, debating on whether or not she should continue to fuel his new-found curiosity over their boss's love life. With another sigh, Calleigh tidied up the station, tossing her gloves in the trash on the way out, and headed across the hall.

To no surprise, Ryan was waiting for her at the door, and Jesse and Walter were standing a little ways off, deep in conversation. Calleigh slipped into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Gentlemen," she greeted, her tone slightly frosty.

"Calleigh!" Jesse and Walter made their way over. "You asked H about the woman, right?" Ryan looked like the cat that caught the canary.

"I did," Calleigh admitted, her face flushing despite herself. "Unlike _some_ people, I didn't want to lower myself to gossip about my boss and what may or may not be his love life."

Ryan, Jesse and Walter had the decency to look slightly sheepish at her reprimand. It didn't seem to deter them though, because Ryan plowed ahead.

"Well, what did he say?"

Calleigh smiled a bit at the men's childish antics for a moment, wondering whether or not she should let them play their little game. _Probably not,_ she decided. _I don't want it to become an issue or a distraction from work_.

"She's an old friend in need," Calleigh said slowly. "And that's it. There are no children, there is no alimony, and there was no bad breakup."

Jesse made a small noise of triumph. "Pay up," he said, sticking a hand out to Ryan and Walter. The men simultaneously pulled out their wallets, each forking over a five.

"You were _betting?_" Calleigh rose an eyebrow, staring at the men as sternly as she could, despite the humorous looks on their faces.

"Just on the circumstance," Ryan sighed. "We all thought there was a different history between H and the woman,"

"We just wondered how they knew each other, is all," Walter explained. "Jesse changed his guess from ex to just friend. He won."

"Listen, gentlemen," Calleigh poked each one of them in the arm. "There will be no more betting and gossiping. This is Horatio's business. If he wants us to know something, he'll tell us. And until then, you can always go ask him yourself. Whether or not he'll answer is up to him. But woman or no woman, this is not going to distract you three any longer from your duties around here, right?"

"Right," the three men chorused, nodding.

"Good." Calleigh smiled. "Horatio said he'd be in his office if we needed him," And with that, she spun on her heel and practically flounced out of the room, heading to take her lunch break.

"Does that make her sort of a hypocrite?" Walter asked, the moment Calleigh had disappeared around the corner.

"Sort of a hypocrite?" Jesse laughed at Walter's poor wording.

"Yeah!" Walter nodded. "She just said that it was Horatio's business, not ours… that if he wanted us to know, he'd tell us. But she went and asked him about it anyways."

"Maybe," Ryan allowed. "But she did have the balls to go and ask anyways, right?"

"That's a good point," Jesse said, pocketing his money. The three men stood in silence for a few moments before each wandering off in a different direction, heading back to work.

--

"I brought you some… juice…" Horatio began, as he reentered his office. His sentence trailed off when his eyes fell on Kagome's form, curled up and fast asleep in his office chair.

His expression softened and a smile stole across his face as he remembered a younger Kagome, who fell asleep just as easily. _She must have been stressed,_ he realized, placing the drink down on the small glass coffee table and moving around his desk.

With all the gentleness of a father, Horatio lifted Kagome from the chair, moving over to the small couch and positioning her there as comfortably as he was able. He smiled at her sleeping form once more before he headed back to his desk, and picked up the phone. It rang a few moments before it was picked up on the other end.

"Frank, I need you to do me a favor."

--

**tbc.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I am so pleased that this story is such a great success! And of course, you've all made that possible! But I honestly am glad that you're enjoying it, cause I'm totally loving writing it! It's opened up some new challenges for me as a writer, so it's safe to say that hopefully every party involved will benefit from another chapter!! So, a big SHOUT OUT to everyone that's reviewed up until now, and even to all those people who've added this story to their favourites, to their alerts, and to their C2's, too!

Now, a note, for all you dedicated reviewers and those undeniably curious as to Kagome's "female" presence at the Miami Dade Police Department...

Last chapter, I did mention that Horatio still sees the child in Kagome, and Kagome still sees the comforting, fatherly-presence in him. This is still true. That being said, I would also like to point out that Kagome isn't a little girl anymore... she's a full grown, adult woman. She is now surrounded by hot-blooded, full grown men... and I think you can connect the dots that I've just placed right here to screw you over. Whether or not Horatio is one of those men has yet to be seen... and while I did say that KH is _not likely_, I would like to point out that I've neither confirmed or denied _anything_. This is a mystery, after all...

I have plans for the general future of this story... and I've alluded to a likely scenario, but I would like to point out that things might not turn out as one might expect... and that there are many different paths to the same destination. Just some food for thought.

* * *

**Always - IV**

**By ancient-relic**

--

_And if you ever come back-_

_Well,_

_I will let you;_

_Always_

--

Calleigh readjusted her goggles around the earmuffs, before marching briskly over to the firing tank, calling out,

"Two shots!"

and rapidly firing the gun with precision at the water-filled tank. The shots echoed dully in her ears, muffled. Her mind, however, wasn't on the bullets that went whizzing into the tank; no, it was on the mysterious woman who had appeared at the front of the station several hours prior.

Horatio _had_ answered her question(s?) in all fairness, and she hadn't exactly pressed him for information. He had seemed rather nonchalant about it though, and had looked off with a fond sort of smile as he answered. It was not a new expression; Horatio was likely the nicest person she had the pleasure of knowing, even if it was sometimes in a roundabout sort of way. No, it was not new… but there was a different dimension to it. Like he was keeping a secret, maybe.

Perhaps it was just her 'female instinct' going into overdrive, and compounded with her curiosity and scientific analytical deduction abilities… Calleigh was almost certain that there was more to the young woman than Horatio cared to share. Calleigh didn't want to lower herself to the level of the boys (aka her betting, gossiping co-workers,) but she knew she wanted to learn more.

Catching the bullets with a magnet, Calleigh pulled them out gingerly, careful not to drag them across any surface, lest it create a scratch. _Perhaps I'll pop my head into his office?_ She mused. _Sounds like a good enough place to start._

--

Kagome gave a contented moan, rolling over and tucking herself into the back of the couch with a rested, happy sigh. Horatio looked up from his desk at the noise, but realized she'd just been repositioning herself.

Immediately after calling Frank, Horatio had set himself to work; calling and leaving messages with several important friends who owed him a favor or two, and learning what he could about the murder of Kagome's family. Without pulling rank and making a proper inquiry, Horatio was able to access little more than news articles and police reports through several databases as well as public search engines, but what he learned was enough to make his stomach churn with grief for the woman who lay resting several feet away.

He knew that she'd had a fairly strict upbringing, losing two fathers; one to illness, and one to a drunk driver. However, the remainder of her small family had pulled together and walked away from both losses stronger than most. The Higurashi family were very close-knit and old-fashioned in that sense; sitting down for dinner every night, spending at least one afternoon or evening a week together. They had been most pleasant, he remembered, upon their circumstantial first meeting.

Years ago, before he had been made head of the Miami Dade CSI department, he had simply been a homicide detective. He had been investigating and questioning witnesses to a shooting, and young Kagome had been close enough to hear loud arguing before a gun had been fired.

Unfortunately, because Kagome was young and English was her second language, she had been of little help, but it had introduced him to the girl and her family. He'd had the pleasure of meeting Kagome's real birth father, who was a commendable individual and deceptively intimidating; her mother, who never seemed disgruntled and took everything in stride; and her grandfather, who was both witty and spry despite his obvious age. Horatio had enjoyed their company, and was pleased to find that they had enjoyed his almost equally so; and they had spent an afternoon together, with Horatio acting as the ever-helpful tour guide.

Horatio glanced over to the sleeping woman on the couch, remembering the small girl. She was full-grown now, albeit, but the little girl he had met was still there somewhere… it was likely what had brought her here in the first place. Horatio smiled fondly at Kagome's sleeping form before turning to his computer.

A moment later there was a light knock on the door, and Horatio looked up to see Jesse standing there, several manila folders in his hands. Scribbling down a phone number on the printout beside him, Horatio used his free hand to gesture the CSI inside.

"So I was just going over some files from Walter," Jesse began, his eyes lingering on Kagome's sleeping form curiously. "He found some curious discrepancies I wanted to get your opinion on. It looks like they could be signatures, but that would mean that the killer's M.O. is changing each time he kills."

Horatio watched with a ghost of a grin as Jesse's eyes shifted minutely to Kagome, studying her curiously and as closely as possible without openly staring. He took the files as he cleared his throat, opening one and scanning through Walter's messy scrawl.

As his boss studied Walter's notes, Jesse took the moment to surreptitiously crack his neck and pop his shoulders, getting a good look at the woman curled up on the couch. She appeared to be sound asleep, judging from the rhythmic rise and fall of her back. Besides a nice view of her legs, however, Jesse wasn't able to garner much more.

"If it's a serial bomber," Horatio began slowly, "Then it's a serial bomber who doesn't know what he's doing, and he's liable to blow himself up by accident and save us some trouble. Is there anything else I can help you with Jesse?" He handed the folders back with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, no, actually," Jesse smiled nervously. "Walter just asked me to pop in. Thanks,"

As Jesse turned to walk out, he narrowly avoided getting smacked in the face with the door. Another woman rushed into the room, her long hair- tied atop her head- whipping him in the face.

"Horatio, you should have called the second you heard, and not had someone else do it" the woman scolded. Horatio smiled to himself, chuckling a little. "You know I would have been here at the drop of a hat. The poor thing," the woman turned to glance at the other occupant of the room, who was still sleeping soundly.

"Alexx," Horatio gave his ex-medical examiner a brief, friendly hug. "It's good to see you."

Jesse stood there dumbly, slightly confused as to why so many women were appearing in a hurry to see Horatio. His boss seemed to hear his thoughts, and turned the woman with a hand to face him.

"Alexx, this is the newest member of the team, Jesse Cardoza. Jesse, this is Alexx Woods, our previous M.E."

"Pleasure to meet you Jesse," the dark haired woman smiled politely. "I hope you won't get up to as much trouble as the rest of us,"

She and Horatio laughed like there was an inside joke.

"Same here," Jesse returned her greeting, shaking her hand. He'd heard stories of Alexx from Ryan and Calleigh, but he hadn't the foggiest idea who they were talking about. She was exactly what he imagined, however, as she turned to speak with Horatio. Independent, confident, and successful.

"_What is all this noise?"_ a little voice complained, speaking in the rapid tones of another language. The other three occupants of the room turned to the couch where Kagome was stirring, her hair mussed and her face lined with the pattern of the pillow her cheek had rested on.

"Kagome!" Alexx swooped down on the smaller woman, scooping her up in a joyful embrace. "Oh, it's so nice to see you again,"

"Alexx?" Kagome was a little disoriented. "_What- It's good to see you too!"_

"English?"

"Sorry, sorry," Kagome apologized. "It's disconcerting waking up to loud voices, is all," She smiled at Horatio over Alexx's shoulder, and Horatio nodded back. The two woman immediately set to gabbing, as it had apparently been 'too long' since they'd seen each other last.

Horatio watched the two women with a reminiscent smile, and Jesse took the moment to slip from the room, unnoticed. He hadn't managed to speak to the woman yet, but he had learned her name was Kagome.

--

**tbc.**


End file.
